Chatham News

CHATHAM – It just seems to get bigger and more festive every year.
Organizers say the town's gala Independence Day parade will the largest ever, with 102 official entries, not counting the more than half dozen groups that traditionally lead off the procession.
“This is a record,” said Independence Day Parade Committee Chairman Brad Schiff, noting this is the first time there have been more than 100 groups p...

CHATHAM – The state is considering allowing aquaculturists to sell undersized “petit” quahogs in the state, a move local shellfishermen say could have a devastating impact on the town's shellfish industry.
Chatham has the largest quahog fishery on the Cape, with landings last year of 21,295 bushels worth $1.4 million. More than 320 commercial shellfish licenses were issued this year, and while about half that ...

Two Sharks Tagged, More Seen By Researchers Off Chatham
CHATHAM – Beginning Friday, July 1, anyone with an iPhone can find out instantly when great white sharks are sighted or tagged off the Cape.
The free “Sharktivity” app, developed by the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy, will enable the public to track shark sightings and shark activity, report sightings and submit photos and videos of sharks, data that...

For Chatham’s summer and year-round residents alike, Chatham Band concerts on Friday evenings evoke memories of summer and childhood “that you don’t get anywhere else,” says the band’s musical director Thomas Jahnke.
“It’s where everything comes together at the right moment,” adds Jahnke, who is beginning his third year as musical director. “It’s the perfect spot in the center of town. It is quite magical.”
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CHATHAM — If you're finding it easier than usual to score a choice parking space on Main Street this summer, thank a downtown merchant.
A working group assembled to find ways to increase the number of available downtown parking spaces reports that it is making real progress. The group's leader, Becky Voelkel of the Chatham Merchants' Association, said downtown business owners have largely agreed to discourage ...

CHATHAM — In the wake of the “surprise” demolition of the historic Reuben C. Smith house at 1610 Main St. last month, town staff members are drafting a new policy to ensure closer cooperation with the Historic Business District Commission.
Selectmen reviewed the case at the request of resident Norm Pacun, who said the law that enables the HBDC gives it clear authority to review pending demolitions of historic ...

CHATHAM – Growing up the youngest of seven children in the Bronx, Chatham resident Tom Baldwin knew very little about his father Walter’s service in World War I.
“I cannot recall my Dad ever talking about his wartime experiences in our home,” Baldwin said. Walter Baldwin passed away in 1965.
It wasn’t until 2012 that Tom and his sister discovered a typed manuscript while going through some of their father’s...

CHATHAM – Sharks are on the move. Not only in the waters off the Outer Cape, but in downtown Chatham as well.
With Chatham Band concerts beginning in Kate Gould Park Friday, the Sharks in the Park exhibit had to relocate. Seems there's not enough space for both sharks and the throngs of concert goers who fill up the downtown park every Friday through Labor Day.
So the sharks – all 40-plus of them, as well a...

Researchers tagged the first great white shark of the season today off Nauset Beach, and for the second time witnessed a shark eating a seal.
The approximately 12 foot shark was tagged by Dr. Greg Skomal of the state division of marine fisheries during the twice-weekly population study trips along the coast sponsored by the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy.
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CHATHAM — Spanning more than the banks of the Mitchell River, the town's new drawbridge – opened with a ceremonial snip of a ribbon Monday – bridged the more daunting gulf between highway engineers and preservationists.
The new Mitchell River bridge won't be complete until the fall, but was scheduled to open to auto traffic this Wednesday. Its hybrid design features a modern steel and concrete substructure ...

CHATHAM – A male great white shark named "Scratchy," tagged by researchers last year, was detected earlier this month by a receiver buoy off Monomoy, becoming the first of its species confirmed in these waters this season.
And on Monday a team from the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries and the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy not only saw their first great white shark this summer, but witnessed it pre...